By FELIKS BANEL, SPECIAL TO SEATTLEPI.COM

Published 10:00 pm, Wednesday, December 23, 2009

As the birthplace of Bing "White Christmas" Crosby and Yogi "Yust Go Nuts at Christmas" Yorgesson, and the locale where Burl "Holly Jolly Christmas" Ives spent his later years, it's something of a mystery that musical scholars and pop culture historians have not previously zeroed in on the Pacific Northwest as a fertile breeding ground for the American Christmas music industry.

Until now.

In the spirit of helping carve out a regional identity beyond the standard Mount Rainier/Space Needle/Microsoft/Starbucks routine, I make this decidedly NOT non-denominational holiday offering to seattlepi.com readers: A comprehensive list of Christmas music with ties to our Pacific Northwest homeland.

Some of the local connections are, admittedly, dubious, but the same could be said about much of the Christmas music produced anywhere in the past century or so. But let's not get too caught up in the dreary specifics at this festive time of year. Please join me in pouring yourself a Yule Log and throwing some eggnog on the fire, as we spin the virtual turntable and celebrate a musical Northwest Christmas!

Bing CrosbyWhite Christmas and about a hundred other Christmas records Bing Crosby was born in Tacoma and grew up in Spokane before becoming a crooning sensation in the 1930s and radio and movie star in the 1940s. His recording of Irving Berlin's White Christmas for the 1942 film Holiday Inn is one the most popular recordings in the history of mankind. Then, as if singing White Christmas (and being the namesake for a search engine) weren't enough, Crosby had to prove, posthumously as it turned out, that he was still the coolest guy on the planet 35 years later by singing a Christmas duet with David Bowie. The unlikely pair sang Little Drummer Boy and Peace On Earth for what turned out to be Crosby's last Christmas special, taped just before he died in 1977.

Brenda Kutz and various artists Christmas in the NorthwestChristmas in the Northwest is a song, and is the name of a series of albums and CDs released locally since 1985 with proceeds supporting Northwest children's hospitals. Anyone not professing love for these albums and, in particular, the title track, should be barbecued with his own salmon and buried with a sprig of cedar through his heart.

The Brothers FourMerry ChristmasSeattle's folk quartet the Brothers Four were literally brothers at a University of Washington fraternity before signing with Columbia Records (as Columbia's answer to RCA's Kingston Trio) and hitting the charts with Greenfields. Their 1965 Christmas LP is a Vietnam-era gem that's long out of print (the band entertained combat troops and wrote about it in the liner notes). For some reason, it's never been issued on CD. I found my vinyl copy at Goodwill many years ago, and this LP is well worth whatever price you have to pay to get it on your turntable.

Kenny GMiracles and other albums I'm not a big fan of Mr. Gorelick, but you gotta hand it to the guy for putting together a pretty spectacular career despite legions of detractors here in the 206 area code and elsewhere. Personally, I can't tell where one song ends and the next one begins. But maybe that's the point?

The VenturesThe Ventures Christmas Album and Christmas JoySleigh Ride (played like it was a cousin or fraternal twin of The Ventures' breakout hit, Walk Don't Run) is the best and most familiar tune on The Ventures Christmas Album, originally issued in 1965. Ventures' co-founding guitarist Don Wilson's clever concept — to "filter" classic Christmas songs through opening riffs and catchy hooks from familiar pop hits — still sounds as fresh and brilliant today as it must have more than 40 years ago. Christmas Joy is the Ventures' second holiday record, issued just a few years ago, and covering much of the same snow-covered ground.

Stan BoresonYust Go Nuts at Christmas and Stan Boreson Fractures Christmas Accordion whiz Stan Boreson grew up in Everett and attended the University of Washington. It was while he was a student at the UW in the late 1940s that he met Hal Stewart, a novelty performer born in Tacoma who called himself Yogi Yorgesson, performed Scandinavian-themed Christmas songs, and had a hit with Yust Go Nuts at Christmas. Yogi took Stan under his wing and mentored the budding accordion player until Yogi died in a car accident a few years later. Stan picked up where Yogi left off, covering his songs and carrying on the novelty song tradition for many decades and dozens of albums (as well as hosting the kids' show KING's Klubhouse on Channel 5 for 18 years). Boreson is still active at 83 years old, performing all around the Pacific Northwest. By all means get ahold of Boreson's CDs, but also check out the original Yorgesson recordings (available on many compilations) to see Where It All Began.

Etiquette RecordsMerry ChristmasTacoma-based Etiquette Records issued this Christmas album in that Northwest Christmas music watershed year of 1965, featuring the Wailers, the Galaxies, and the uber-influential proto-grunge Sonics (performing the classic Santa Claus). Hard to find in vinyl and expensive if you do, and even the recent Norton Records CD reissue (some of the individual tracks are available on other records and CDs) can sell for upwards of a hundred bucks. Worth every penny.

Green RiverAway in a MangerAway In A Manger is the only holiday track on this hard-to-find compilation of mid-1980s Seattle bands, back when the distinctions between metal and punk were pretty murky and nobody really cared much anyway. Green River remains notable mostly for its productive demise, which ultimately spawned Mudhoney and Pearl Jam.

Lanny Ross The Story of ChristmasThough pretty much forgotten now, Kirkland-born tenor Lanny Ross was a popular radio performer, recording artist and film star beginning in the 1920s. His one and only Christmas record (a 10-inch LP from the late 1940s) is near impossible to find, but it's a nice reminder of another early Northwest local-boy-made good (besides that Crosby fellow).

Don "Captain Puget" McCuneChristmas TidesDon McCune was Captain Puget on KOMO TV back in the 1950s and 1960s. Late in his life he recorded a CD of Christmas standards, along with an original tune, the bittersweet title cut. McCune's melancholy baritone is perfectly suited to the material, and evokes a salty, windswept monochrome Christmas on Puget Sound long ago (like, before color TV).

Ron HoldenWho Says There Ain't No Santa Claus?Seattle's Ron Holden and the Thunderbirds charted with a song called Love You So in 1960. Somehow or other, Holden was inspired to write this unusual Christmas song that ends with the main character dying in the electric chair--perhaps a Yuletide ode to the mighty hydroelectric dams on the Columbia River? Available on a few compilation CDs but generally hard to find.

Bob RiversTwisted ChristmasKZOK morning man Bob Rivers has built an empire on his Twisted Tunes novelty records, including White Trash Christmas, and I can't think of anything snarky to say that would outsnark this parody genius. Several titles are readily available online and at decent record stores everywhere.

Jimi HendrixLittle Drummer Boy/Silent Night/Auld Lang SyneLegendary Seattle guitarist Jimi Hendrix was messing around with a couple of Christmas songs and Auld Lang Syne during a rehearsal long ago while some enterprising soul kept the tape rolling. The tracks were release posthumously (not sure that Jimi would have approved, but who knows?). Easy to find on CD just about anywhere.

HeartLovemongers ChristmasThe Wilson sisters of Bellevue formed folky hard-rocking band Heart back in the early 1970s, then launched a mostly acoustic side project band called The Lovemongers around 1990. This CD features lush production values, standards and original songs, and Ann Wilson's versatile voice. Jesus is a magic man, so go crazy on Christmas this year with a couple of talented local gals!

Dave MatthewsChristmas Song Dave Matthews now famously lives in Wallingford (and though I've never seen the guy in person, the soccer moms at Meridian Park are always telling me that I just missed him). Anyhow, Matthews' entry into the Christmas biz is a ditty called Christmas Song.

Mel BlancI Tant Wait Till Quithmuth The voice of Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Elmer Fudd and other Warner Brothers cartoon characters was raised in Portland, Oregon and performed in vaudeville all around the Pacific Northwest before making it big in Hollywood. In addition to his work in cartoons (and radio), Blanc made several records highlighting his virtuoso vocal cords, including this Tweety Bird-esque paean to holiday impatience and troubling speech impediments.

Ray CharlesSpirit of Christmas andRay Charles with the Voices of Jubilation ChoirEverybody knows by now that Ray Charles lived in Seattle in the late 1940s, hanging out with Quincy Jones down on Jackson Street and putting out his first records. Charles also put out a pretty decent Christmas CD in 1985, with his trademark innovative arrangements and vocal stylings. A CD with many of the same tunes recorded live and backed by a choir was issued posthumously and nicely complements the studio material.

Danny KayeJingle BellsI consider Danny Kaye an honorary Seattleite, since he was part owner of the Seattle Mariners in the 1970s, and a partner in Kaye-Smith Studios. Kaye's version of the perennial favorite Jingle Bells (available on a handful of esoteric compilation LPs) has to be heard to be believed, particularly where Kaye impersonates Louis Armstrong and maybe even Barbra Streisand.

Gene AutryRudolph the Red-Nosed ReindeerGene Autry is another honorary Seattleite, since he owned radio station KVI for many years from the 1960s to the 1980s. Autry recorded the first and most popular version of Rudolph, and wrote, recorded and had a big hit with Here Comes Santa Claus.

Cary GrantChristmas LullabyeOkay, I admit this one's a stretch, but I like to believe that Cary Grant is an honorary Seattleite by marriage to West Seattle High grad Dyan Cannon. Mister Cannon's contribution to the holiday canon is an odd ditty sung/spoken in that distinctive, at times self-parodying voice (think Tony Curtis in Some Like It Hot, and is available on a few musty compilation LPs.

Jane LeevesWinter WonderlandAnother stretch: in my Christmas music fantasy world, the lovely British actress Jane Leeves is a fictitious honorary Seattleite, since she played a character on the TV series Frazier that was set here (but filmed, naturally, in California). Check out Leeves' rendition of Winter Wonderland on the NBC celebrity Christmas CD issued a few years ago.

Carol ChanningThe Year Without A Santa ClausCarol Channing was born in Seattle but then, if you can believe Wikipedia, moved away when she was two weeks old. Still, she rates a listing here mainly because her Christmas record (long out of print--got mine, I think, at Value Village in Kent) consists of spoken word pieces done in her inimitable (slightly kid-frightening) style.

Sir Thomas BeechamThe Nutcracker Suite by The Royal Philharmonic OrchestraWe've saved the best for last! Sir Tom briefly served as conductor of the Seattle Symphony in the early 1940s, and famously referred to our fair city as a "cultural dustbin" before fleeing to more cosmopolitan environs. Since a Nutcracker recording is essential in every Seattle home, you may as well have one made by a guy upon whom the city apparently made quite an impression.